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United States Patent | 5,215,921 |
Finn | June 1, 1993 |
A water manifold and air supply system for use with a multi-compartment rotating drum apparatus for the fermentation of natural organic material which provides for selective injection of air and predetermined amounts of water into compartments of the drum during its rotation which system includes an air supply conduit concentrically aligned with the rotational axis of the drum, a first water-conduit section fixedly secured to the rotating drum, a second water-conduit section concentric with the rotational axis of the drum residing within the air supply conduit and connected to the first section through a water-tight seal, the two water-conduit sections and air supply conduit being respectively connected to stationary water-supply and air-supply means by swivel joints.
Inventors: | Finn; Larry J. (Gladewater, TX) |
Assignee: | Bedminster Bioconversion Corporation (Cherry Hill, NJ) |
Appl. No.: | 783549 |
Filed: | October 28, 1991 |
Current U.S. Class: | 435/290.3; 71/9; 71/12; 239/416.5; 239/423; 435/290.4 |
Intern'l Class: | C12M 001/10; C12M 001/04 |
Field of Search: | 239/416.5,423,424 366/345,346 71/9,12,14 435/287,312,313,315,819 422/184,209 |
3041148 | Jun., 1962 | Ballantyne et al. | 435/313. |
3138447 | Jun., 1964 | Eweson | 71/9. |
3245759 | Apr., 1966 | Eweson | 71/9. |
3407121 | Oct., 1968 | LeSeelleur et al. | 435/313. |
3676074 | Jul., 1972 | Shibayama et al. | 71/9. |
3756784 | Sep., 1973 | Pittwood | 71/9. |
4666854 | May., 1987 | Suguira | 435/313. |
5055744 | Sep., 1992 | Petersen | 71/9. |
Foreign Patent Documents | |||
3626903 | Feb., 1988 | DE | 435/315. |